Broken Wings
by Angelina Aintithenniel
Summary: Robin was falling, falling into darkness. How will Batman and Young Justice deal with the death of their little bird? Written for qwardofanima's 'Sidekick Lost' challenge. Rated T for safety.
1. Chapter 1

Broken Wings

By

Angelina

**A/N This is for qwardofanima's 'Sidekick Lost' challenge. Hope you like it **

Chapter 1: Flying

Robin was flying. He could feel the air rush past him as he soared. The only thing that would make it better was if someone were there to fly with him.

He was falling. Robin was falling and there was nothing Superboy could do to stop it. His hands were reaching for the little bird but Robin was just out of his reach. He wasn't going to catch him in time.

Robin opened his eyes as the ground rushed up to meet him. He was falling, not flying. Though his descent was fast time seemed to pass incredibly slowly for him. He thought of Bruce and Alfred, of his team. He thought of his parents, was this how it felt when they were about to die? It seemed ironic to the doomed hero that he would perish the same way his parents had.

The ground was getting closer and Robin squeezed his eyes shut. He was vaguely aware of an enraged roar before he met the ground with a sickening, crunching thud.

**A/N This will probably be a three shot. I am working on the second and will hopefully have it up later today or tomorrow. Reviews are always appreciated**


	2. Chapter 2

Broken Wings

By

Angelina

Chapter 2: Broken

Superboy landed ten feet away from Robin, making a sizable crater that displaced the young boy's body. He quickly dropped to his knees beside the still form. Robin was mangled; every part of him looked broken. Blood dripped from his nose, mouth, and ears. Behind the mask Robin's eyes were open, open but unseeing. Superboy reached out a shaking hand and gently pried of the mask only to be greeted by two innocent glossy blue eyes. The eyes enraged Superboy even more.

He didn't want to believe that he was dead; he didn't want to acknowledge that he was gone.

But he could hear no heartbeat, nor the familiar sound of Robin's steady breathing. The only sound that greeted him was that of the wind and of Robin's blood slowly dripping from his limp body. The wind sounded mournful in Superboy's ears; as if it was lamenting the life of the bird it could not help to fly.

Superboy sat in a daze for several minutes, the cooling body of Robin still clutched in his arms, before he was able to fully process what had happened. Robin was gone, forever. The thought hit him harder than any physical force ever had before. Superboy let out another roar and started sobbing, crying like a small child. And, as if on cue, the heaven's opened up and rain poured onto the two, watching away the crimson blood of the little Robin.

Superboy didn't know how long he knelt there crying over Robin's body. He didn't notice when the rest of the team arrived. He didn't notice M'gann's loud wailing or when Kid Flash collapsed to his knees before him. He didn't notice when Aqualad began singing an Atlantean lamentation or when Artemis finally broke down. All he was aware of was the lifeless body that he held in his grasp. Tears cascaded down his cheeks to mingle with the rain that soaked them all.

Superboy barely registered when Batman arrived, he tightened his grip on the limp form when the man tried to pry his hands away from his son. He only relinquished Robin's body to the older vigilante when Batman gave him the patented DaddyBats-Glare. As soon as Robin left his arms the clone curled into a ball. Cadmus had taught him about death, but he had never before experienced it and he never wanted to experience it ever again.

Batman was in stoic denial as he hoisted his son into his arms. The boy's head lulled limply to the side exposing a pallid cheek and open blue eyes. Batman choked back tears as he reached out to shut the big blue eyes for the last time. Batman clutched his son closer to his chest and turned to leave, ignoring the young teens that were now sobbing together in a group. As Batman set Robin down in the back seat of the Batmobile something fell out of his limp hand. Batman bent down and picked it up, it was a small rubber bat. The Masked Manhunter reached into the back of his utility belt and took out a small rubber robin. The set had been a gift from Dick on his first Father's Day with Bruce. Batman let a single tear fall from his masked eyes as he stuffed both birds back into his utility belt. His Robin would never fly again; the little bird's wings were broken.

A/N Chapter three is almost done. Until then, please review


	3. Chapter 3

Broken Wings

By

Angelina

Chapter 3: Final Goodbyes

The entire Justice League attended the small and intimate funeral. They had helped to raise the little bird, they had comforted him through his nightmares, they had tucked him in at night, they had laughed and played with him, they had watched him triumph, and they had been his family. Now they watched him die.

They had watched him grow up, they had thought of the wonderful gentleman he would become. He was the youngest of all of them and he was the first to die. Life wasn't fair. Life was cruel that it should take the youngest in years; it was cruel to cut the flower before it had even finished blooming.

Black Canary sniffled into Green Arrow's broad shoulder while Red Arrow sat beside the two with a faraway expression on his face. Superman was comforting Wonder Woman while silent tears spilled down his face. Aquaman and Aqualad were dressed in traditional Atlantean mourning clothes; both hung their heads in deep sorrow. Martian Manhunter was holding his niece as she cried her eyes out for the fourth time that day. Conner was sitting by himself looking lost, his expression neither here nor there. Artemis was sitting by herself as well, shaking from silent sobs. Flash was lending his shoulder to Kid Flash as the two bawled into tissues. Bruce Wayne sat up front with bloodshot eyes and his head held high. Alfred sat next to him with tears leaving two wet tracks down his cheeks.

One by one they got up and shared their favourite memories of the little bird. But no one really registered what was being said, they all seemed to be operating on auto pilot. After the last person had finished speaking Bruce and Superman approached the coffin. Bruce pulled the two rubber birds out of his pocket and slipped them into Dick's clasped hands, allowing his hand to linger on Dick's cold one. But before he pulled away, however, he changed his mind and put the rubber robin back in his pocket leaving Dick clutching the bat. Bruce then shut the lid of the coffin and watched through hazy vision as Superman picked the coffin up and then lowered it into a prepared grave.

Slowly the small funeral party shuffled by the grave and threw flowers onto the coffin. Then M'gann moved the dirt with her mind to cover her friend's grave. The little bird had been laid to his last rest.

One by one the heroes left until it was just Bruce and Alfred that stood by the small grave. "I'll go start the car, Master Bruce." With that the englishman turned away and left Bruce alone with his son.

Bruce knelt down next to the headstone. Damn**(1)**, Dick looked so young on stone, so young. Bruce opened his mouth to try and say something but after several minutes of opening and closing his mouth like a fish Bruce gave up. Finally he rose to his feet. He looked down at the grave stone once again. "I love you, son." He turned his back on the small grave and walked away, forever leaving a piece of him behind.

Robin would never fly again.

The thought brought fresh tears to Bruce's eyes.

His baby bird's wings were broken.

And so were Batman's.

**(1) Please pardon my language but I couldn't find a more apporpiate word for that sentence. **

**A/N I did not care for this chapter as much… I don't write funerals very well… I think I may add a fourth chapter with an alternate ending, what do you guys think?**

**A/N Not to beg or anything but I have never gotten over 8 reviews on a story before, so it would be nice if I could get over that. 9 would be nice :) But do not feel obligated to review, only do so if you have the desire. **


	4. Alternate Ending

Broken Wings

By Angelina

Chapter 4: Alternate Ending

**A/N I think I established in another story that I do not do depressing well. So, here is an alternate ending for those who like their little bird alive and flying. If you liked the previous sadness than be warned: this has a happy ending :D **

**I also have neglected to put a disclaimer on the previous chapters, oops. Hehe…**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Young Justice… If I did they would be a lot more of Robin in there.**

"No!" Superboy bellowed as he watched Bane hurl his unconscious friend off the side of the 50 story building. Superboy took a running start and threw himself off after the little bird. Fear clenched at his heart as he watched the limp boy hurtling toward the ground just out of his reach.

It was just like the nightmare he had woken up from the previous night. Robin, his best friend, had fallen to his death and Superboy had been unable to save him. But this time was going to be different, it had to be.

The ground was 100 feet away now…

Superboy let out a howl of rage as the two continued falling. Robin was still out of reach.

75 feet away…

Suddenly Superboy was speeding up; Robin was getting closer to him.

60 feet…

Superboy stretched out his arm, just a few more inches!

50 feet…

Robin was in his grasp now. Superboy was hugging the precious bundle close to him as the ground kept coming.

40 feet…

But it was all in vain. Robin's fragile human body wouldn't survive the impact, he would die!

30 feet…

Superboy's mind raced; there had to be something he could do, he would not lose his little bird again.

20 feet…

Superboy positioned himself under Robin and squeezed his eyes shut.

10 feet…

The wind stopped whipping around Superboy and he wondered for a moment if he was dead. But he could still feel the limp form in his arms.

Slowly the clone opened his eyes to see the ground barely five feet below him… Wait, below?

Superboy looked around him, he was suspended in midair, hovering. He had managed to fly.

Slowly Superboy released a breath that he did not realize that he had been holding, and lowered his body to the ground. His knees buckled as his feet touched the ground and he fell to them, Robin still clutched securely in his arms.

Superboy sat in a daze for several minutes before a groan in his arms brought his attention back to the object of his flight. A shifting beneath the acrobat's mask alerted the clone that Robin was opening his eyes.

"Superboy?" Robin sounded confused; however, it only took him a few seconds to put the unlikely conclusion together. "I fell?"

The clone nodded.

"You caught me?"

The clone nodded again.

Robin looked around them, there was no crater. "You flew?" His voice was small, like he didn't fully believe what he was saying.

Superboy nodded.

"Thank you, Conner." Robin said as he wrapped his arms around Superboy's neck.

Superboy just sat there and blinked as Robin hugged him. He had managed to save the boy. His dream hadn't come true. After that the gears in his mind finally started to move again and Superboy hugged Robin back. "You're welcome."

**A/N So the previous chapters were Superboy's dream for anyone who was confused. I needed a happy ending so that I would not have to endure my brother's shameless torture for my feminine feelings. Being the only girl of six brothers can be rough sometimes. Hope you all liked the story.**

**A/N Sorry for any OOC'ness. **

**A/N Reviews are always greatly treasured and appreciated **


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